Saturday, September 26, 2009

Is There Anybody There?

If you happened to see me floating above a stunningly pretty Margate this afternoon, dragging a marriage proposal banner, then the answer to your unspoken question may be "Yes".Sam, I'm told by SMS message, agreed to marry Dan, just above the Jet-Ski club on the cliff at Palm Bay. And what a wonderful day he chose to propose to her!

Back in the world of the 'Blogs' I see that Michael Child has spotted an entry from Labour's finest, Cllr Nottingham, in which he appears to endorse the use of council premises for 'Satanist' worship. This did rather cause my eyebrows to raise, reading the quote: "“Several Christians have suggested to me that it is inappropriate for Council premises to be used for events with links to the occult and Satanism. I do not share their concerns."

Whether 'Mystic Meg' clairvoyants or members of the spiritualist church can be so easily lumped into the 'occult' and satanist category may cause some offense. However, with the Labour Party Conference now in full swing in Brighton, it does seem likely, that the only way that Gordon Brown might win the next election is to make a deal with the Devil and I don't mean the 'Prince of Darkness', Peter Mandleson either. So perhaps this is a hint at a new policy direction yet to be revealed by a Party desperate to try anything to stay in power when most of the population want them gone?

This morning I was out canvassing opinion in Dane Valley, ahead of the forthcoming by-election. With my hand on my heart, I can confess to discovering only a single 'strong' Labour supporter, one BNP supporter, no independent vote and the encouraging remainder either Conservative or still undecided; with a significant number of people who said they never voted anyway, which is bad news for democracy as a whole!

If you look at the progress in Dane Valley under the present Conservative administration at TDC, it's easy to understand why people may be more positively inclined towards the Conservative vote. There's 'Sure Start', the allotments, the play area and the efforts that have been directed towards Millmead, in huge contrast with what clearly wasn't achieved under the previous Labour administration.

From doorstep conversation in Dane Valley as elsewhere, it's quite likely that voters will use their ballot to send a strong message to the national parties and to Gordon Brown in particular, the wounded Albatross now wrapped around the neck of the Labour Parliamentary Party.